Bureau of Immigration Spokesperson Dana Sandoval on Sunday explained the newly implemented guidelines released by their agency for departing tourists.

In an interview with DZRH’s Huntahan with Christian Mao and Nicole Lopez, Sandoval emphasized that there are no changes in the requirements for the departing regular tourists.

"I think that's one of the main concerns na nakikita natin, particularly sa social media, that there was a misconception na may bagong requirement ang mga lalabas sa bansa," she said.

"Kung tayo ay regular na turista, mamamasyal lamang abroad, walang bagong requirements," she continued.

When asked about the guidelines for the revised implementation, the BI spokesperson clarified that it is only a revision of the previous guidelines.

Actually, itong mga guidelines on departure formalities, halfway around since 2012, yung recent revision was 2015. Ngayong 2023 version, consolidated all the departure requirements of different government agencies," she explained.

Sandoval then mentioned the basic requirements for first-time tourists, saying that regular tourists should not worry as they only need to present their passport valid for at least six months.

"Valid visa kung ang bansang pupuntahan ay visa-required, boarding pass, and the confirmed round trip," she further explained.

When it comes to the bank certificate, which the travelers think would be necessary, Sandoval stated that it is not necessary unless they undergo a secondary inspection, which will certainly require additional documents.

"Ang tinitingnan talaga ng IO is triangulation ng tatlong bagay, their documents, their statements kung ano ang sinasabi nila, and their demeanor," the BI spokesperson clarified, explaining that if the documents don’t match and there are inconsistencies, it is already considered a red flag.

She said that the immigration officer has jurisdiction over the departing passengers, but they have no right to check on the passengers’ phones without proper consent.